The present invention is directed to a composition and process for removing wrinkles from textiles and fabrics.
A variety of methods are known in the industry for removing wrinkles from garments, fabrics or textiles. Several well known methods use heat, steam and pressure such as household ironing or steam pressing. These methods are effective but suffer from the need for special equipment and may not be convenient or practical, such as, for example, when traveling. In addition, the use of heat may damage the fabric.
Compositions and methods for removing or reducing wrinkles without the need for special equipment are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,325 to Kaufman, et. al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,772 to Stebbins each disclose the use of mixtures of alcohol and water. U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,688 to Schwartz et. al. discloses using an alcohol/water mixture with a quatenary ammonium salt as a surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,268 to Jacobson et. al. discloses a water/alcohol/surfactant mixture using a quaternary ammonium salt and a silicone glycol or fluorosilicone polymer as the surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,254 to Church provides for a dewrinkle composition containing alcohol, water, non-ionic surfactant and glycerine.
The present invention is directed to a composition for removing or decreasing wrinkles from fabrics, comprising water, alcohol and a silicone surfactant containing at least one polyether substituent group per molecule.
This invention also provides for a method of treating a wrinkled fabric to reduced the amount of wrinkling, comprising contacting the fabric with an effective amount of a composition comprising water, alcohol and a silicone surfactant containing at least one polyether substituent group per molecule.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cfabricxe2x80x9d is used broadly and includes woven and non-woven textiles made from natural fibers, such as for example, cotton, silk, linen or wool, man made fibers, such as for example, polyester, rayon or nylon, or combinations thereof, as well as garments or other articles, for example, window draperies, made form such materials. In a preferred embodiment, the fabric is a woven textile comprising at least one natural fiber. In a highly preferred embodiment, the fabric comprises, a garment made from a woven textile comprising at least one natural fiber.
In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the present invention comprises, based on 100 parts by weight (xe2x80x9cpbwxe2x80x9d) of the composition, from about 75 pbw to about 98.99 pbw, more preferably from about 80 pbw to about 95 pbw and still more preferably from about 85 pbw to about 93 pbw, water, from about 1 pbw to about 20 pbw, more preferably from about 5 pbw to about 15 pbw and still more preferably from about 8 pbw to about 12 pbw, of the alcohol, and from 0.01 pbw to about 5 pbw, more preferably from about 0.03 pbw to about 3 pbw and still more preferably from about 0.05 pbw to about 2 pbw, of the silicone surfactant.
The alcohol may be any alcohol that sufficiently volatile to evaporate at room temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the alcohol comprises a linear or branched alcohol containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms per molecule. More preferably, the alcohol comprises one or more of ethanol, propanol and isopropanol.
In a preferred embodiment, the silicone surfactant comprises a compound having one or more units of the structural formula (I):
RaSiO4xe2x88x92a/2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein each R is independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical or a monovalent polyether radical, provided that at least one R per molecule of the silicone surfactant is a monovalent polyether radical and a is a number wherein 1xe2x89xa6axe2x89xa64.
Suitable monovalent hydrocarbon radicals include monovalent acyclic hydrocarbon radicals, monovalent alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals and monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon radicals.
As used herein, the terminology xe2x80x9cmonovalent acyclic hydrocarbon radicalxe2x80x9d means a monovalent straight chain or branched hydrocarbon radical, preferably containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms per radical, which may be saturated or unsaturated and which may, optionally, be substituted, for example with one or more halo groups. Suitable monovalent acyclic hydrocarbon radicals include, for example, alkyl radicals, such as, for example, methyl, ethyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, octyl, dodecyl, stearyl and eicosyl, haloalkyl, such as trifluoropropyl, alkenyl radicals, such as, for example, ethenyl and propenyl, and alkynyl radicals, such as, for example, propynyl and butynyl.
As used herein, the terminology xe2x80x9calicyclic hydrocarbon radicalxe2x80x9d means a radical containing one or more saturated hydrocarbon rings, preferably containing from 6 to 10 carbon atoms per ring, per radical which may optionally be substituted on one or more of the rings with one or more alkyl groups, each preferably containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms per group and which, in the case of two or more rings, may be fused rings. Suitable monovalent alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals include, for example, cyclohexyl and cyclooctyl.
As used herein, the terminology xe2x80x9cmonocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon radicalxe2x80x9d means a hydrocarbon radical containing one aromatic ring per radical, which may optionally be substituted on the aromatic ring with one or more alkyl groups, each preferably containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms per group. Suitable monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon radicals include, for example, phenyl, tolyl, xylyl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl and naphthyl.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cpolyether radicalxe2x80x9d means a monovalent group according to the structural formula (II):
xe2x80x94R1O((CH2)bO)c((CH2)dO)eR2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II)
wherein:
R1 is divalent alkyl radical;
R2 is H, alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl;
b and d are each independently integers of from 1 to 12;
c and e are each independently integers of from 0 to 100; and
1xe2x89xa6c+exe2x89xa6200.
In a preferred embodiment, 1xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa650 and 1xe2x89xa6exe2x89xa650, more preferably 1xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa630 and 1xe2x89xa6exe2x89xa630.
In one preferred embodiment, R1 is a divalent alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms per radical, more preferably xe2x80x94(CH2)3xe2x80x94, b is 2, 1xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa6100, e is 0 and R2 is H or an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 12, more preferably 1 to 6, carbon atoms per radical, more preferably H. More preferably, 1xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa650, and even more preferably 2xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa630.
In another preferred embodiment, R1 is a divalent alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms per radical, more preferably xe2x80x94(CH2)3xe2x80x94, b is 2, 1xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa6100, d is 3, 1xe2x89xa6exe2x89xa6100 and R2 is H or an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 12, more preferably 1 to 6, carbon atoms per radical, more preferably H. More preferably, 1xe2x89xa6c+exe2x89xa6100, 1xe2x89xa6c+exe2x89xa650, and even more preferably 2xe2x89xa6c+exe2x89xa630.
In a preferred embodiment, the silicone surfactant comprises one or more organopolysiloxane polymers or copolymers of the structural formula (III):
MaDbTcQdxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(III)
wherein:
M is R33SiO1/2;
D is R42SiO2/2;
T is R5SiO3/2;
Q is SiO4/2;
each R3, R4 and R5 is independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical or a monovalent polyether radical, provided that at least one R3, R4 or R5 radical per molecule is a monovalent polyether radical; and
a, b, c and d are each integers, wherein a=(2+c+2d), 0xe2x89xa6bxe2x89xa6500, 0xe2x89xa6cxe2x89xa610,0xe2x89xa6dxe2x89xa610.
In a preferred embodiment, each R3, R4 and R5 is independently alkyl, more preferably (C1-C6)alkyl, even more preferably methyl, or a monovalent polyether radical.
In a preferred embodiment, c and d are each 0.
In a highly preferred embodiment, c and d are each 0, 1xe2x89xa6bxe2x89xa64 and at least one R3 is a hydroxy endcapped poly(ethyleneoxy) radical containing from 3 to 24 ethyleneoxy units per radical.
In a highly preferred embodiment, the silicone surfactant comprises one or more linear organopolysiloxane polymers or copolymers of the structural formula (IV): 
wherein R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 are each independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical or a monovalent polyether radical, provided that at least one of R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 is a monovalent polyether radical, and x and y are each integers wherein 0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa6500 and 0xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa6500 provided that (x+y)xe2x89xa70.
In a preferred embodiment, 0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa6100 and 0xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa6100, more preferably 0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa630 and 0xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa630.
In a preferred embodiment, each R6, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, and R14 is independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical and each R7 and R15 is independently a monovalent polyether radical. In a more preferred embodiment, each R6, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, and R14 is independently (C1-C6)alkyl, more preferably methyl, and each R7 and R15 is independently a monovalent poly(ethyleneoxy) radical.
In another preferred embodiment, y=0 and each R6, R7, R8, R9, R13, R14 and R15 is independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical and each R10 is independently a monovalent polyether radical. In a more preferred embodiment, each R6, R7, R8, R9, R13, R14 is independently (C1-C6)alkyl, more preferably methyl, and each R10 is independently a monovalent polyether radical, more preferably, a monovalent poly(ethyleneoxy) radical.
In accordance with the process of the invention, the fabric is treated by contacting the wrinkled fabric, that may be hung in the desired shape or remain on the person, with an effective amount of the above identified aqueous solution in the form a of a spray or mist of finely divided droplets to the surface of the fabric. An effective amount of the composition is one effective to reduce the wrinkling of the fabric being treated, preferably an amount sufficient to dampen the surface of the fabric without saturating the fabric. A conventional pump sprayer or suitable alternative method may be employed.
After application of the composition, the dampened article may be smoothed by hand or other device or pulled taut to enhance the dewrinkling capability of the solution and then allowed to dry.
Once the article has dried following an initial treatment, the article may, optionally, be again treated with the composition and handled as before. This results in an improved appearance over the singly treated articles.